Marco Zanini 1954–

Born in Trent, Zanini graduated with a degree in architecture from the Università di Firenze and later took several courses at the Architectural Association in London. From 1975 to 1977 he traveled through Mexico, Canada, and the United States, where he worked briefly. At the end of 1977, he returned to Italy and settled in Milan where he began working with Ettore Sottsass. He became a partner in the Studio Sottsass Associati in 1980, and in 1981 was a founding member of the Memphis Group, in which he participated actively through 1988. He showed in several exhibitions with Memphis, designing ceramics, lighting systems, furniture, and several series of glass objects crafted by the Vetreria Toso Vetri d'Arte. He collaborated with Studio Sottsass Associati on many projects such as office furniture for Knoll International, exhibition designs and interiors, urban furniture, and industrial design objects. Independently, he designs and makes jewelry, ceramics, furniture, and blown glass objects (Venini, 1989).

Toso Vetri d'Arte 1981–1990

Toso Vetri d'Arte was established in 1980 by Luigi Toso and three glass-blowing maestri: Carlo Tosi "Caramea", Dino Toso, and Luigi Visentin.
Tosi had worked on Murano for over 30 years and was renowned for his particular skill in goblets. Other designers and collaborators included Fulvio Bianconi, Marco Zanini and Ettore Sottsass, who, in 1981, founded the Memphis Group. Toso Vetri d'Arte produced glass for the Memphis Group from 1981 to 1990.
In 1990, Toso Vetri d'Arte was bought out by Andrea Boscaro and renamed Compagnia Vetreria Muranese.

Ettore Sottsass 1917–2007

Born in Innsbruck, Austria, Ettore Sottsass graduated in architecture at the Turin Politecnico in 1939. In 1946 he settled in Milan and began to work in graphics and illustration. A few years later he opened his own studio. From 1949 to 1954 he designed and built several public housing projects in Turin. He was invited to participate in several editions of the Triennale. In 1958, he became a consultant for Poltronova and Olivetti, the company for which he designed the first Italian calculator, Elea 9003, which won him one of the four Compasso d'Oro awards (1959 edition) he collected during his twenty-year collaboration with the company. For Olivetti he designed office machines and typewriters such as Praxis, Tekne, and Valentine, objects whose design quality put them into the permanent collections of museums such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Centre Pompidou in Paris. In 1981, he opened the Studio Sottsass Associati, working in the fields of architecture, graphics, and industrial design. Together with Marco Zanini, he founded the Memphis Group, which pursues its objective of creating a radical iconographical update in figurative language. For Memphis, Sottsass designed furniture, lamps, and accessories, including a series of multicolored glass pieces made of elements crafted by Toso Vetri d'Arte (1982-1986). His preceding experience with glass dated back to 1974, when he designed a series of objects for Vetreria Vistosi. His interest in glass led him to design several pieces for Venini in the '90s and several limited series of works in glass for the Galleria Marina Barovier.

Toso Vetri d'Arte 1981–1990

Toso Vetri d'Arte was established in 1980 by Luigi Toso and three glass-blowing maestri: Carlo Tosi "Caramea", Dino Toso, and Luigi Visentin.
Tosi had worked on Murano for over 30 years and was renowned for his particular skill in goblets. Other designers and collaborators included Fulvio Bianconi, Marco Zanini and Ettore Sottsass, who, in 1981, founded the Memphis Group. Toso Vetri d'Arte produced glass for the Memphis Group from 1981 to 1990.
In 1990, Toso Vetri d'Arte was bought out by Andrea Boscaro and renamed Compagnia Vetreria Muranese.

Carlo Scarpa 1906–1978

Born in Venice, Carlo Scarpa graduated from the Accademia di Belle Arti in Venice in 1926. Soon after his graduation he began work at M.V.M. Cappellin, where he soon replaced Vittorio Zecchin as artistic director. Following the direction laid down by Zecchin, he initially created transparent blown-glass pieces with essential forms, in particular the pieces exemplified by their conic base. Scarpa later designed light glass pieces in brightly colored pasta vitrea, or decorated fenici. Deservedly famous was the refined collection of lattimi decorated with gold or silver leaf, which he presented for the first time in Monza in 1930 together with the canne verticali and millefiori glass works. Giacomo Cappellin closed the workshop in 1932 for bankruptcy, putting an end to the collaboration with Carlo Scarpa. In 1934, Scarpa became the artistic director of Venini & C., where he continued to work through 1947. Alongside Paolo Venini, who often participated in the design of glass, Carlo Scarpa experimented with the vast potential of glass, using and innovating many traditional techniques, by which he created extraordinary modern pieces. After the mezza filigrana glass works came the sommersi, the pasta vitrea inspired by Chinese ceramic motifs, the corrosi, the battuti, the vessels a fasce colorate, a pennellate, the variegati, and the famous multicolored murrine with the surfaces finished at the carving wheel. After World War II, Carlo Scarpa worked almost exclusively as an architect and teacher.

Maestri Vetrai Muranesi Cappellin & C. 1925–1932

M.V.M. Cappellin & C. was founded in 1925 by Giacomo Cappellin after the closing of Cappellin Venini & C. Vittorio Zecchin, a painter from Murano who had worked for Cappellin Venini, continued his collaboration with Cappellin for a short time, designing soffiati, blown glass pieces characterized by delicate colors and pure lines. At the end of 1926, following Zecchin's departure, the young Carlo Scarpa took over the artistic direction of the company. Initially, he proceeded along the course taken by his predecessor, creating lightweight blown pieces with simple geometric forms. These were followed by many collections of refined elegance characterized by various transparent textures and often distinguished by vivid colors. Despite the remarkable success at the 1930 Biennale di Monza, M.V.M. Cappellin & C. was forced to close in January 1932. This was most likely the result of inefficient financial management.

Ettore Sottsass 1917–2007

Born in Innsbruck, Austria, Ettore Sottsass graduated in architecture at the Turin Politecnico in 1939. In 1946 he settled in Milan and began to work in graphics and illustration. A few years later he opened his own studio. From 1949 to 1954 he designed and built several public housing projects in Turin. He was invited to participate in several editions of the Triennale. In 1958, he became a consultant for Poltronova and Olivetti, the company for which he designed the first Italian calculator, Elea 9003, which won him one of the four Compasso d'Oro awards (1959 edition) he collected during his twenty-year collaboration with the company. For Olivetti he designed office machines and typewriters such as Praxis, Tekne, and Valentine, objects whose design quality put them into the permanent collections of museums such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Centre Pompidou in Paris. In 1981, he opened the Studio Sottsass Associati, working in the fields of architecture, graphics, and industrial design. Together with Marco Zanini, he founded the Memphis Group, which pursues its objective of creating a radical iconographical update in figurative language. For Memphis, Sottsass designed furniture, lamps, and accessories, including a series of multicolored glass pieces made of elements crafted by Toso Vetri d'Arte (1982-1986). His preceding experience with glass dated back to 1974, when he designed a series of objects for Vetreria Vistosi. His interest in glass led him to design several pieces for Venini in the '90s and several limited series of works in glass for the Galleria Marina Barovier.

Vetreria Vistosi 1945–1990

The descendant of a family who had been Murano glassmakers for hundreds of years, Guglielmo Vistosi opened the Vistosi furnace in 1945 to produce glass components for lighting. After his death in 1952, the direction of the company was taken over by his brother Oreste and his nephews Gino and Luciano. They carried on the line of production, serving as designers as well. Vistosi also sought the collaboration of many independent artists and professionals such as Alessandro Pianon, Peter Pelzel, and Fulvio Bianconi. During the '60s, the company, successful for its essential forms and the sobriety of its colors, received many awards. During the following decade, its pieces were designed by Angelo Mangiarotti, Enrico Capuzzo, Gae Aulenti, Vico Magistretti, Elenore Peduzzi Riva, and Ettore Sottsass Jr. After the company's change of ownership, the furnace produced glass components for lighting until it was closed in the early '90s.

Ettore Sottsass 1917–2007

Born in Innsbruck, Austria, Ettore Sottsass graduated in architecture at the Turin Politecnico in 1939. In 1946 he settled in Milan and began to work in graphics and illustration. A few years later he opened his own studio. From 1949 to 1954 he designed and built several public housing projects in Turin. He was invited to participate in several editions of the Triennale. In 1958, he became a consultant for Poltronova and Olivetti, the company for which he designed the first Italian calculator, Elea 9003, which won him one of the four Compasso d'Oro awards (1959 edition) he collected during his twenty-year collaboration with the company. For Olivetti he designed office machines and typewriters such as Praxis, Tekne, and Valentine, objects whose design quality put them into the permanent collections of museums such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Centre Pompidou in Paris. In 1981, he opened the Studio Sottsass Associati, working in the fields of architecture, graphics, and industrial design. Together with Marco Zanini, he founded the Memphis Group, which pursues its objective of creating a radical iconographical update in figurative language. For Memphis, Sottsass designed furniture, lamps, and accessories, including a series of multicolored glass pieces made of elements crafted by Toso Vetri d'Arte (1982-1986). His preceding experience with glass dated back to 1974, when he designed a series of objects for Vetreria Vistosi. His interest in glass led him to design several pieces for Venini in the '90s and several limited series of works in glass for the Galleria Marina Barovier.

Vetreria Vistosi 1945–1990

The descendant of a family who had been Murano glassmakers for hundreds of years, Guglielmo Vistosi opened the Vistosi furnace in 1945 to produce glass components for lighting. After his death in 1952, the direction of the company was taken over by his brother Oreste and his nephews Gino and Luciano. They carried on the line of production, serving as designers as well. Vistosi also sought the collaboration of many independent artists and professionals such as Alessandro Pianon, Peter Pelzel, and Fulvio Bianconi. During the '60s, the company, successful for its essential forms and the sobriety of its colors, received many awards. During the following decade, its pieces were designed by Angelo Mangiarotti, Enrico Capuzzo, Gae Aulenti, Vico Magistretti, Elenore Peduzzi Riva, and Ettore Sottsass Jr. After the company's change of ownership, the furnace produced glass components for lighting until it was closed in the early '90s.